500 royts of Mand-region seek procurement or MSP on Paddy
Under the banner of Himachal Pradesh Kisan Sabha about 500 royts belonged to 27 Gram Panchayat of Mand region belonging to Fetapur and Indora subdivision of Kangra district attended a convention to demand opening of paddy procurement centers in the district to bring them under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme.
Farmer convention was held at Rayali under Mand region of Kangra district under the the leadership of HKS leader Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar said that farmers showed strong resentment against state government as they were not given minimum support price on the paddy
During the convention Farmers raised the demand of opening Procurement centres for paddy in the state as royts are not getting benefit of MSP in five grain markets in the Punjab and border states.
Dr Tanwar said ” Paddy farmers of the state are produce about 1.89 lakh quintal paddy per annum which is more than the state own requirement under PDS system. Rather purchasing rice from the farmers, State is importing about 1.05 lakh quintal of PDS rice or paddy from outside of state moreover farmers are not fetching good prices or benefit of MSP in the state.”
“Till 2020 paddy farmers were selling their produce in five grain markets of Punjab so far but last years APMC
of Punjab decided to not extend the benefit of procurement to them and they deprived of MSP rate of Rs 1940 per quintal, forcing to laying it in their grainers or sold it throwaway prices.” Dr Tanwar said.
”Now paddy crops is about to be harvest in the month of October in the state however Government is trying to make various excuses to not open Procurement centers to buy the paddy from the farmers. Confusing statements were being made by the officials of agriculture department who are trying to push the burden of opening procurement centers to Food Corporation of India and Himachal Pradesh state Food and supply Corporation” Dr Tanwar said.
”Modi and Jai Ram Govt is trying to evade the issue of providing MSP to farmers and bent upon to not withdraw three antifarmer laws, could not be trusted however no promise were not made for providing MSP or open new procurement centres ‘ Dr Tanwar said.
He said that state Government has laid target to produce about 135500 metric tonne paddy in the state likely
to acheieved . He said that 50 per cent of paddy is produce by 27 gram panchayat of Mand region of Kangra
is known among highest per acre production of paddy in the state.
Dr Tanwar said that state Government are not helping the distressed farmers in the state as farmers producing paddy and maize or corns in the Kharif season are not getting remunerative prices in the state.
Farmers decided to joined the Sep 27 all India farmers band as Government is not serious on the issue of MSP and withdrawing the three farms law, he added
Figure and area under paddy cultivation
Total paddy acreages in Himachal Pradesh for the kharif is estimated at 50 thousand hectares. Besdie this farmers of Mandi, Sirmaur , Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Solan district also produce paddy. Farmers produce mainly parmal and major Basmati variety PB-1509 (65 to 70 pc ), PB-1121 (20 pc to 25) and Basmati 370 ( 16 to 18 pc) .
The total area under rice in Himachal Pradesh is about 80,000 hectares, spread across 10 districts.
In Mandi district, red rice farming is done at Janjehli, Churag and Thunag. The annual production of red rice in the state tune to 9,926 quintals, with an average production of between 8 and 10 quintals a hectare.
State Agriculture minister Mr Varender Kanwar said in recent monsoon session of state assembly that no procurement center was opened for the paddy and maize farmers during last two years however FCI is opened three Procurement centers for the during the Rabi season for the Wheat.
